President Signs Commerce Appropriations Bill
Statement by the President on H.R. 2500

*NOTE: THE 11TH PARAGRAPH OF THIS RELEASE REVISES THE ELEVENTH PARAGRAPH OF A RELEASE ISSUED EARLIER ON H.R. 2500

Today I have signed into law H.R. 2500, the "Department of
Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2002."

I appreciate the bipartisan effort that has gone into producing
this Act. The bill abides by the agreed upon aggregate funding level
for Fiscal Year 2002 of $686 billion and supports several of my
Administration's key initiatives including:

-- $100 million to support a backlog elimination
initiative to achieve a

universal six-month processing standard for all immigration

applications;

-- 570 additional Immigration and Naturalization
Service agents to

protect our Northern and Southern borders;

-- $50 million grant program in the Office of Justice
Programs to aid

counties along the Southwestern border with their costs of
detaining

and prosecuting drug cases referred to them by Federal law
enforcement

agents;

-- $50 million for drug courts, which provide a
supervised treatment

alternative to prison sentences for non-violent drug possession

offenders, to enable Federal assistance to over 120 new or existing

drug court programs. To date, over 57,000 offenders have
completed

drug court programs, and their recidivism rate is much lower than
that

of comparable offenders;

-- $15 million for grants to create community-based
task forces for

reducing youth violence and to assist State and local prosecution
of

firearms offenses, and $9 million for the U.S. Attorneys to hire

dedicated prosecutors who will appropriately prosecute juvenile gun

offenders and those who supply them with guns;

-- $20 million to assist State and local law
enforcement agencies with

the costs associated with methamphetamine laboratory clean-up; and,

-- $5 million for a faith-based prison pre-release
pilot project to

reduce the rate at which ex-offenders are returned to prison
through

intensive counseling and family and community transition
instruction.

In addition, at this critical time, when we are mounting a
world-wide effort to defeat terrorism, I appreciate that this bill
provides significant new funding for our Federal law
enforcement agencies in the Department of Justice, our
diplomatic operations overseas, and for enhanced embassy security.

I note that Section 612 of the bill sets forth certain requirements
regarding the organization of the Department of Justice's efforts to
combat terrorism. This provision raises separation of powers
concerns by improperly and unnecessarily impinging upon my authority as
President to direct the actions of the Executive Branch and its
employees. I therefore will construe the provision to avoid
constitutional difficulties and preserve the separation of powers
required by the Constitution.

Section 626 would require the President to submit a legislative
proposal to establish a program for the compensation of victims of
international terrorism. I will apply this provision consistent with
my constitutional responsibilities. In addition, subsection (c) of
that section purports to remove Iran's immunity from suit in a case
brought by the 1979 Tehran hostages in the District Court for the
District of Columbia. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable
law, the Executive Branch will act, and encourage the courts to act,
with regard to Subsection 626(c) of the bill in a manner consistent
with the obligations of the United States under the Algiers Accords
that achieved the release of U.S. hostages in 1981.

Section 630 prohibits the use of appropriated funds for cooperation
with, or assistance or other support to, the International Criminal
Court (ICC) or its Preparatory Commission. While Section 630
clearly reflects that Congress agrees with my Administration that it is
not in the interests of the United States to become a party to the ICC
treaty, I must note that this provision must be applied consistent with
my constitutional authority in the area of foreign affairs, which,
among other things, will enable me to take actions to protect U.S.
nationals from the purported jurisdiction of the treaty.

In addition, several other provisions of the bill
unconstitutionally constrain my authority regarding the conduct of
diplomacy and my authority as Commander-in-Chief. I will
apply these provisions consistent with my constitutional
responsibilities.